The 62nd Floor
by SweetHarmonee
Summary: At night, here in the library, the ghosts have voices. As Tseng was about to find out, people can literally lose their lives among those books.
1. Chapter 1

_'Where is everyone? Aside from the receptionist there's hardly anyone on this floor.'_

As Tseng exited the elevator on the 62nd floor of Shinra Head Quarters, he studied his surroundings – a useful habit in his line of work, one that had saved his life a handful of times. The government offices were on this floor, yet he saw none of the political puppets or any other of the Shinra lackeys lurking in the vicinity. Even Mayor Domino was absent from his cushy office chair. It didn't matter anyway; Tseng was headed to the library to return a few books.

He had always been fond of the library. In fact, reading was his favorite pastime. He enjoyed the peacefulness of his hobby, which was in stark contrast with the level of tranquility granted by the business – the projects, the action, the stress, the hustle and bustle gifted to the leader of the Turks. Whenever he wanted to escape from reality, he would wander to the library, open a new book, and let his imagination create another actuality. If there were one place he could have chosen to spend eternity, it would be among those books.

As Tseng entered the library, a chill ran up his spine and he shuddered. After giving the room a brief surveillance inspection, he found nothing out of the ordinary. As usual he was alone, surrounded by a plethora of different realties to choose from. He skimmed book leafs searching for something that would catch his interest. After several minutes, he found a novel that satisfied his curiosity. It was small, but elegantly bound between silvery rigid leather and its edges ornamented with bronze.

"Men cry not for themselves, but for their comrades," Tseng read aloud, "Loveless."

Resting the new book of poetry underneath his arm, he used his other to scoop up the books he had previously borrowed. He began to make his way over to the drop-off box, when that same shiver of cold caused his nerves to tremble once more. In the window, the setting sun in the horizon cast shadows throughout the library. His eyes darted quickly across every inch of the room, but there was no one there.

_'Was someone watching me? No, it's probably just my imagination.'_

Suddenly, the thundering noise of a book falling from its case and colliding with the floor tiles echoed through the empty room. The tracks of the library ladder creaked loudly. With his hand hovering over his holstered pistol, Tseng turned and he could have sworn the ladder had moved slightly.

Then, everything fell silent.

A flicker of movement near the window captured his attention. Within an instant the books he had held fell violently to the floor and his fingers clasped around his pistol. He was met with hesitation as he faced the window, the barrel of his gun aimed at a young woman staring in his direction.

Somehow, the woman's presence reminded Tseng of the moon; her skin pale and her expression distant. A teeny black dress clung loosely to her figure, highlighting her leanness – as if she ate too little. Turning her face slightly, her tousled violet tresses shifted as if there were a breeze in the stagnant room. The strands may have covered half of her face, but even from a distance he could almost see the remnants of scar tissue peaking through them. She was not an astonishing beauty, but he found something about her features striking. One single grey orb stared back at him, the other still hidden beneath her hair. She appeared sullen and there was something in her stare that made him feel uncomfortable for no reason he could explain. There was definitely something very odd about the young woman, but it was difficult for Tseng to sense what it was exactly. Yet, he didn't sense danger, so he lowered his pistol.

"Excuse me, miss," Tseng spoke apologetically as he returned his gun to its holster. "I wasn't aware that there was anyone else still in the library."

"...!" The young woman quickly broke her gaze, a look of shock painted across her face as she focused her stare towards the tiled floor.

"Um…." He hesitated, unsure how to react. He was pretty sure it was her who he felt looking at him earlier, since there was no one else here. "Did you need some help?"

"Not really…" Her reply was a quiet whisper, still staring at the floor.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes-s-s," Her words were shaky at first, so she kept her voice low. "I don't need any help from you." Her eyes darted across the floor, eventually stopping to stare at the scattered pile of books at the man's feet.

"Oh, these!" Tseng feigned comprehension, a nervous laugh escaped his mouth as he stooped down to collect the books from the floor. Holding up a particular paperback, he remarked "This one was especially unique. It will have you questioning your perceptions."

"..." The woman stood expressionless, silently returning her one-eyed gaze to Tseng.

"Here you go." Standing up to hand her the books, he held out his other hand to introduce himself. "Excuse my manners – I'm Tseng. I work for the Department of Administrative Research. You must be - the librarian."

Without a word the woman snatched the books and held them close to her chest. She stared blankly at Tseng's outreached hand that was awaiting a formal handshake.

Silence hovered in the room for several moments.

"Pardon me for prying, but who might you be?"

"Isis…. Shion… Isis Shion." She stuttered before looking up at him. "Leave me alone."

Tseng stood dumbfounded, but eventually turned to walk away.

Something caused him to pause in the doorway – maybe it was just the sadness in her voice.

With his back towards Isis, he turned his head slightly, "I do apologize for bothering you, miss."


	2. Chapter 2

"Hello, sir!" The receptionist's greeting radiated feigned enthusiasm as Tseng exited the elevator on the 62nd floor. "Come to check out another book?"

As he entered the hallway towards the library, he noticed that yet again there didn't seem to be many employees on the floor. Considering the day, it wasn't much of a surprise; everyone's probably in the courtyard participating in the festivities of evening for Shinra's Employee Appreciation day. However, once he reached the library, he noticed a few researchers seated at the tables with their noses diligently planted in scientific tomes.

Strolling down the narrow aisles of bookcases, Tseng examined the spines of novels in no particular order, sometimes pulling one out to scan a few pages. Occasionally, he'd put one underneath his arm if it piqued his interest. Within twenty minutes, he had a decent-sized stack in his arms.

Tseng reached the end of an aisle and found a cluster of desks with dimly-lit lamps and miniature computer screens embedded into the woodwork. A few more researchers adorned in white lab coats studied the electronic monitors quietly. Walking slightly further, he stumbled upon a quiet corner in the very back that had been designed for personal reading. A few comfortable-looking chairs were scattered in the space, all facing a window with a lovely view of the courtyard festivities below. Reflections from the neon lights of a ferris wheel danced across the panorama of the skyline, booths selling trinkets and food dispersed across the grounds, and hundreds of Shinra employees ambled about 62 floors below.

Although the rest of the library had a few studious researchers scattered throughout, this section was practically deserted. As he glanced around, he noticed someone sitting in one of the chairs. It was Isis, the dark-haired girl whom he had an awkward encounter with a few weeks ago. After that first encounter, he'd briefly caught sight of her several times in the library. Yet, after mere seconds, she would disappear. That particular evening, she was reading a book, holding the pages so close to her face that it acted almost like a shield.

'_I suppose she might just be immensely engrossed in that story.' _

But Tseng couldn't stop the intrigue from floating slowly through his mind and before he even realized it, he found himself walking in the direction of the peculiar young woman. He figured there no reason he shouldn't greet her, as he would with anyone else he was acquainted with. She was a fellow Shinra employee after all.

Hesitation stopped him mid-pace; he walked over to another chair a few feet away from her, took a seat, and laid his books on the small table beside him. Isis lowered her book slightly and raised her colorless eyes to begin glancing at him fearfully from underneath the thin cover of her hair.

Although this was the not the first time he had seen her, it was the first time he'd ever been this close. Beneath her violet tresses, he could clearly see scar tissue that blemished half of her face. His eyes were instantly drawn to the disfigurement. Subconsciously captivated, he couldn't restrain himself – so he stared until his black eyes met her grey.

For a moment, he was startled and redirected his stare to the book still resting between her pale fingers. Then he realized that diverting his gaze in such an abrupt manner was even more impolite than staring in the first place. It still took him a moment to gather himself and approach her.

"I apologize for my lack of manners." Tseng's deep voice carried across the empty space. "I didn't intend to startle you again."

"It… it… it's okay. " She softly whispered, her eyes refusing to meet his.

"Well…" He mumbled and gestured towards the seat beside her. "Do you mind if I join you?"

A prolonged, uneasy silence followed his question – insinuating that he had asked too much of her. He noticed the uncertain expression painted on her face and just as he was about to walk away, she finally answered with a slight nod.

As Tseng took a seat beside Isis, she immediately raised the book in an effort to conceal her face. He regarded the small novel she was reading and wondered what _Cloud Atlas _was about. He had never heard of it, but it was obviously interesting enough to her. He wanted to ask what it was about, make some sort of conversation, but he didn't intend to be too forward again.

"Again, I apologize." Tseng spoke in a lower tone than usual in an attempt to put her at ease. "I'm not sure if you remember me, but we've met before."

"Yes…" Isis looked up from the book slightly, staring off into the empty space in front of her. Her words were so stiff and her voice so quiet that if one weren't paying attention, her reply would float by unnoticed. ".. . I know."

"Please, don't mind me. I didn't intend to disturb your reading." He reassured her, holding up the book in his hands. "I need my reading time as well."

She nodded slightly with an obvious sigh of relief escaping from her lips.

So the two sat in silence for many minutes, Tseng attempting to read the prologue to a story based on fictional accounts of the Wutai war and Isis noticeably concealed her face behind the pages of _Cloud Atlas_. His eyes began to wander again, drawn to the direction of her silky hair and the unsightly scars behind it. The uncomfortable absence of sound proceeded until he could no longer bear it.

"So…" Tseng's smooth voice infiltrated the silence. "You certainly seem to enjoy spending time here."

When their gazes finally met, there were irrecoverable repercussions. His innocent attempt to break the tension is met with an expression of unanticipated fright. Her eyes focused in his direction, blinking frantically like a scared mouse.

"Yes. Is there wrong with that?" Her impassive words were followed by a deep breath.

"No, of course not!" Tseng replied quickly, "For a spring evening, it's pleasantly warm outside. I just thought, maybe you'd like to accompany me downstairs for the festival."

Isis forcefully pulled the book from her face and placed it in her lap, obvious exasperation streaked in her eyes.

Tseng felt as if he'd suggested something extremely inappropriate, but he wasn't sure what it was. In an attempt to redeem himself, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind, "It may not seem like it, but it's actually a very entertaining festival." It appeared to have worked, at least slightly, as Isis looked a little less tense.

"... It's too warm outside, too sunny." She mumbled.

Tseng turned his head slightly to peer out of the window at the night sky, "But the sun set an hour ago."

Isis swiftly stood up and her book fell to the ground. "I… I… I don't like people."

Without warning, Isis retrieved her book from the floor and took off running, eventually disappearing between the stacks of bookcases. Her sudden departure caught Tseng so off guard that by the time he reached the aisle she had darted through, she was nowhere to be found.


End file.
